FAQ
Questions & Answers on the following topics:
Dairy Product Nutrition and Value
Why is dairy an important part of a healthy diet?
Studies show that nothing beats dairy's benefits to good health. Milk and dairy foods offer a powerful package of calcium and eight other essential nutrients that is readily available for pennies an ounce.
Do lowfat and nonfat dairy products contain the same nutrients as whole milk?
Yes. Milk is the most nutrient-rich beverage available. A serving of fat free milk provides calcium, protein, vitamins A, D and B12, riboflavin, phosphorus, potassium and niacin, along with only 80 calories.
Does chocolate milk contain the same nutrients per serving as white milk?
Absolutely. Milk, including flavored milk, offers a powerful package of calcium and eight other essential nutrients.
Do Americans consume too much milk and too many dairy products?
On the contrary. Recent statistics show that 75% of Americans do not get enough calcium in their diets. Nutrition guidelines from The Guide to Good Eating recommend 3-4 servings of dairy per day as part of a healthful diet. There are no other foods that pack the nutrition punch of milk and dairy foods in such a great-tasting, affordable package.
Can dairy products prevent disease?
Yes. A well-balanced diet, including lowfat milk and dairy foods, along with a regular exercise program, is the best way to maintain good health.
Recent studies have shown that the nutrients in milk and dairy foods are effective in preventing certain cancers and reducing and preventing high blood pressure. This new scientific research provides even more evidence that milk and dairy foods are a great value for consumers' tight food budgets.
Does milk consumption cause heart disease?
No. A well-balanced diet, including lowfat milk and dairy foods, along with a regular exercise program, is the best way to maintain good health.
Dairy Food Safety
How do I know the milk I drink is safe?
Milk and dairy products are among the most highly regulated foods available. Milk and dairy foods are subject to up to 17 government-required or voluntary industry safety checks from farm to table.
Pasteurization is the most important food safety tool in use in the world today. Pasteurization is further assurance for the public that the milk and dairy foods they purchase and consume are safe.
What happens to milk that does not meet regulatory tests and standards?
If it's not perfect, it's pitched. All milk shipped off of farms is tested for potentially harmful residues of antibiotics. In 1998, only 1/10th of one percent of loads of milk failed the strict test for antibiotic residues. In the extremely rare instance that a load of milk fails the test, the milk is discarded – never to reach the consumer.
Are dairy farms required to be inspected?
Milk and dairy products are among the most highly regulated foods available. There are up to 17 government-required or voluntary industry safety checks from farm to table.
Federal and/or state regulations require, and periodic inspections verify, that milk be produced by cows that are healthy. Dairy farmers must also provide healthful housing conditions for the cows and sanitary milking and milking handling equipment and procedures. Several times each year, dairy farms are subject to unannounced inspections by state and/or federal regulators.
How can I be sure that antibiotics given to cows don't get into the milk I drink?
Every load of milk from every dairy farm in the United States is tested for potentially harmful residues of animal health products. In the extremely rare instance that a load of milk fails the test, that load is discarded – never to reach the consumer.
What does pasteurization do?
Pasteurization is the most important food safety tool in the world today. The dairy industry has used pasteurization to help ensure milk and dairy product safety for more than 100 years.
By federal law, milk that is labeled ‘pasteurized' must be heated to 161 degrees for 15 seconds. This temperature and time combination has proven effective for more than a century in making milk safe for human consumption.
Dairy Environment
Do dairy farmers care about the environment?
Of course. A farmer's land is his home. Further, dairy farmers' livelihood comes from the land and the protection of the environment is of vital importance to them.
Does the government regulate dairy farmers' environmental practices?
Yes. Dairy farmers abide by strict laws and regulations to protect our earth, water and air. To do that, America's dairy farmers work in partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state government regulators to ensure that their farms remain clean and employ environmentally sound production practices. Through a combination of regulatory and voluntary programs and environmental regulations, farming practices are becoming more environmentally sound, enabling farmers to better protect and preserve air, soil and water quality for future generations.
As part of the development of a national environmental strategy, dairy farmers are working with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop effective regulations for waste management practices on large farms and on many smaller farms. As part of this program, dairy farmers will adhere to the provisions of the Clean Water Act (CWA) by developing individualized Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans (CNMP) that protect the environment and improve soil fertility.
How is my local water supply protected against dairy waste runoff?
Dairy farmers ensure water quality on and around their farms by complying with numerous state and federal regulations, and by employing sound voluntary production practices. Through the implementation of preventive programs and monitoring, regulators and farmers work to avert the contamination of surface and ground water on and around dairy farms.
What happens to dairy farm waste? How do I know it isn't polluting the land or water?
In strict compliance with state and federal environmental regulations, America's dairy farmers maintain waste handling facilities that prevent discharge into waterways.
Dairy farmers also have developed a number of innovative ways to handle waste, such as composting, which kills any harmful bacteria as the waste dries.
Dairy farmers also utilize “buffer strips,” or small sections of land planted with grass and trees, as an effective tool for protecting ponds and streams from pollution. These preservation methods insulate surface water, separate animal operations and other property and provide habitats for wildlife.
For more information on the Oregon Dairy Council, visit www.oregondairycouncil.org.
